Displeased To Meet You
by EverydayGleek
Summary: The first official meeting between Emma White and Regina Mills. *prequel to Love, Eventually*


**A/N: For those of you who have been reading my story Love, Eventually, you might like this. For those of you have not read Love, Eventually, maybe this little prequel will make you want to lol. This was just a little idea that popped up in my head today and I just had to write it out. I hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you guys think, I would appreciate it! And this is intended to be a little one-shot :) **

"Emma, slow down honey. Emma! Get back here! If you don't stop running, you'll get hurt. Emma!" Snow calls after her hyperactive four year old daughter, her voice echoing throughout the large forest. Emma giggles at her mother's exasperated tone and continues running through the forest at full speed, going as far as her little legs will take her. Her blonde curls bounce up and down with every step, her green eyes sparkling in delight as she takes in the sight of the surrounding trees. She's never seen so much green in one area before, well, unless you count the green grass covering the ground of the courtyard of the White Castle. Today is the first day that Snow and Charming have let Emma explore the forest, deeming her old enough to get a feel of the forest that surrounds their castle. They figured that she was old enough to explore, but now, they are quickly beginning to regret that decision. "Emma! Come back here!" Snow yells out again, watching as the tiny blonde-haired blur that is her daughter, continues to run at a fast pace.

"Leave her be, Snow. Let her get a feel of the forest and explore the land. Don't you remember what it was like to be a small child, so full of wonder, curiosity and innocence? She's just excited." Charming says with a small smile aimed in the direction of his running daughter. The look of distress on Snow's face causes him to chuckle. He figures there has to be a way to put his wife at ease. "Archibald, may I ask you a favor?" Charming asks the alert burly man standing beside them, the larger man's eyes focused straight ahead, keeping a vigilant eye on the tiny White Princess. Without looking at the King, Archibald hums in acknowledgement.

"Yes, your majesty?" Archibald asks gruffly, watching as Emma stumbles over a twig on the ground before continuing on her merry way through the forest. He smiles in amusement at the young girl's energy and excitement.

"Can you keep an eye on Emma? Snow and I have to head back to the castle. We have a meeting with King Henry and Queen Cora to attend to in 15 minutes and it doesn't look like Emma is quite done exploring. We'd hate to cut her little adventure short." Charming asks with a small smile aimed in the direction of his daughter.

"Of course, your majesty." Archibald says with a dutiful nod. Charming smiles a grateful smile at the guard and claps a shoulder on the burly man's shoulder as a friendly gesture.

"Thank you. We'll see you back at the castle in a few. Come Snow, let's head back." Charming says to his wife, taking her hand in his. Snow looks in the direction her daughter has disappeared and looks back up at Charming with worry marring her features at her daughter's jerky movements through the forest. Charming smiles at his wife lovingly, tilting her chin up to look at him. When their eyes lock, he smiles at her reassuringly. "She'll be fine, Snow. Archibald will make sure nothing happens to her. Now, we really have to go. Wouldn't want to keep the Mills waiting." Charming says with a mock groan, causing Snow to chuckle. She nods at him and he takes her hand in his once again, throwing one last backwards glance towards the direction Emma and Archibald have disappeared through. And then they turn around and begin walking back towards the castle for their meeting with the Mills.

SQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQ

Emma loves the outdoors. She loves the feel of the wind whipping through her blonde curls and the sound of her feet crunching the earth beneath her boots as she sprints across it. She loves the feeling of being free. Free to roam the forest as she pleases. Free to run as fast as she wants. Free to just _be_. At four years old, Emma was very wise for her age. She had easily come to the conclusion that being a Princess wasn't all it was cut out to be. She's never been a girly girl like all of the other little girls her age. She didn't get excited at the sight of her shiny tiaras, or the new dresses that her mother's seamstress would make her. She didn't get excited over getting to attend balls and getting the chance to dance with little princes from the neighboring kingdoms. She didn't care for any of it. If she's being honest, she didn't like having the title of "princess", she would rather just be called by her first name, and _only _her first name. She was a simple child who just happened to be born into a royal family. She didn't hate it per se', she just wasn't as thrilled about her lifestyle as other people seemed to be.

Emma continued running through the tall trees, occasionally stumbling over a twig or two during her run. She passed by a few rabbits and deer, stopping to pet them gently, earning sounds of approval from the animals, before she continued her run. Emma jumped over small bushes that were in her way, and ducked under low hanging branches before she finally saw it. A haystack. What a haystack was doing in the middle of a forest, Emma didn't know. But during that time, she couldn't find it in herself to care. Without further thought, Emma ran full speed, fully intending to jump into the haystack. But before she got the chance to fulfill her goal, she ran into a small wall… or was it a body? She couldn't see anything but the leaves overhead at the moment. Slowly, she began to sit up, finally being able to see in front of her. She notices a little girl, around her age, with dark brown hair that's been twisted into one long braid. The girl was dressed in a white button down shirt, a black blazer buttoned up over it paired with black trousers and black knee high boots.

She had olive-colored skin, pink lips, cheeks flushed from the slight chill in the surrounding air, her face twisted into a grimace. Emma quickly stands on her feet and offers a hand to the fallen girl. The girl looks up at Emma with a sneer and turns her lips up in disgust at Emma's outstretched hand. Instead of taking the hand being offered to her, the little girl heaves herself up from the ground. The dark-haired girl looks Emma up and down and offers the blonde girl a scowl, which immediately falters when her brown eyes meet the twinkling green eyes of the blonde before her.

"I'm sorry for knocking you down, I didn't see you." Emma says to the girl shyly, blushing at the raised brow the dark haired girl aims at her. "I'm Emma. Emma White." Emma says in a quiet voice, stretching her hand out towards the mysterious girl before her. The dark haired girl stares at the outstretched hand for a moment before stretching out her own to grasp the blonde's hand, giving it a light shake before quickly dropping it.

"I can't say that I'm pleased to meet you, Emma White, but I'm Regina. Regina Mills." Regina says quietly, watching the blonde warily.

"Oh! Is your mommy and daddy King Henry and Queen Cora?" Emma asks in excitement, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. Regina nods silently and watches as Emma's face splits into a grin. "My mommy and Daddy are Queen Snow and King James, but my mommy likes to call him Charming. Our parents have a meeting today!" Emma says to Regina, her grin still in place. Regina stares at the easily excitable girl blankly.

"I know." Regina answers simply with a roll of her eyes. Emma stops bouncing on the balls of her feet and stares at Regina curiously, wondering why this girl is so…mean? Emotionless? Every other little girl Emma has met has been just as lively as her, but never has she met a four year old who seemed so…grown up. It intrigued her. _Regina_ intrigued her.

"Are you out here alone?" Emma asks the girl curiously, not seeing a guard in sight for Regina. Regina shakes her head and points to a large tree where a big man with graying hair is standing, drinking something out of a silver flask. Emma frowns at the drowsy smile on the man's face, taking in the sight of his glazed over eyes and hunched posture. "Is that your guard?" She asks in disbelief. Regina nods and then shrugs, causing Emma's frown to deepen. What kind of guard doesn't pay attention to the princess he should be guarding? "He doesn't seem like a very good guard." Regina chuckles and nods in agreement.

"He's not. He just stands a few yards away from me while drinking a sour smelling liquid out of that silver flask. I don't know what's in there, but I doubt it's good for him." Regina says, stealing a glance at her obviously intoxicated guard. Though, at four years old, she didn't know what being intoxicated was.

"Well, my guard is just over there." Emma says pointing to Archibald who is standing a few feet away, keeping an eye on both girls, while unsubtly throwing disgusted glances towards Regina's guard. "His name is Archibald. He's been protecting me since I was a baby." Emma says matter-of-factly. Regina nods and stays silent, studying Emma curiously. Regina isn't used to being around other kids her age…and Emma….well, Emma seems like she could be a possible friend, but the little blonde was just way too hyper for her taste. But honestly, it was endearing if Regina was being honest. But at the same time, Regina knows how her parents feel about the Whites, and the last thing she wants to do is make her mother angry for befriending the White princess. "Do you-do you wanna play with me?" Emma asks timidly. Regina studies the girl's shy expression and thinks it over for a minute. She really wants to, but she just _can't_. Her parents, her mother specifically, would never let her keep a friendship with a White. It just wasn't possible. So, Regina hardens her features and shakes her head in the negative.

"No thank you. I would rather not be run over by you again." Regina says simply. "It was not-so-nice meeting you, Emma White." Regina says stiffly, her nose stuck up in the air defiantly as she walks towards her guard, snapping her fingers at the man to get him to follow her. The man snaps out of his drunken haze and follows the Mills princess towards the direction of the White Castle. Emma stares after Regina in confusion before breaking out into a sprint to follow after the girl.

"I told you I was sorry for running you over. It was an accident. Why can't we just move on and play together?" Emma asks sadly, her bottom lip jutted out in an adorable pout. Regina's heart breaks at the look, but she stays strong.

"I don't want to play with you, Miss White." Regina said simply, causing Emma's expression to fall, her face crumpling up as tears pool in her eyes. Regina notices the look and quickly faces forward.

"Oh…okay." Emma says with a sniffle. She doesn't know why she's so sad over this rejection, but she is. She really wanted to play with Regina and be her friend…but if the girl wanted to be mean to her, then she would have to shake it off. "Well, bye." Emma says quietly, turning back on her heels to walk towards the haystack she was originally interested in playing in.

But when she went back to the area she had spotted the haystack….it was gone.


End file.
